Machine for waterproofing fibrous materials.



A. 0. TATE.

MACHINE FOR WATERPROOFING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 27. I916- I,228,988, I Patented June 5, 1917.

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I67 I (II I I UC I1 I02 fllfred O. Tate, by W QQ T LG/J A. 0. TATE. MACHINE FOR WATERPROOFING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT 27. 19H}.

Patented June 5, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

0. TATE. MACHINE FOR WATERPROOFING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. 1916. h

Patented June 0, 1917.

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A. 0. TATE. MACHINE FOR WATERPROOFING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 27,1916.

1,228,988.. Patented June 5, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEETL n-oeu To z fl lgfred O. Tate, 6y.

WQFBII A. 0. TATE. MACHINE FOR WATERPROOFING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICAHON FILED OCT- 27,1916- 1,228,988. Patented June 5,1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

ALFRED O. TATE, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T0 TATE ELECTRO- LYTIC WATERPROOFING COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. -Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR WATERPROOFING FIBROUS MATERIALS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED O. TATE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in Montreal, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Waterproofing Fibrous Materials.

My invention relates to machines for waterproofing fibrous materials by making the same non-absorbent or non-capillary, and particularly to improvements upon a machine as set forth in my pending application Serial No. 9637.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved machine adapted for use in practising the improved method of waterproofing fibrous materials described in my prior Patent, No. 933,861, granted September 14, 1909, and the improvements thereon described in my pending applications Serial No. 879,872, filed December 31, 1914:, and Serial No. 127,997, filed of even date herewith, and which will enable said processes and modifications thereof to be practised more eiiiciently and economically than wouldotherwise be possible. While the machine hereinafter described is particularly adapted and fitted for use in practising said processes it is by no means limited to such use. My improved machine, its advantages and operation, will be readily understood from a description of the preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front view, partially broken away, of my improved machine;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on a greatly exaggerated scale of a fiber provided with a waterproofing coating where no provision is made in the machine and processes employed for forcing the material into the body of the fiber;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the waterproofing material as having entered the pores of the body of the fiber after being treated by this machine employed to carry out my improved processes referred to;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view also on a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed October 27, 1916. Serial No. 127,998.

greatly exaggerated scale of a fabric of fibrous material illustrating how the interstices between the individual fibers as well as the pores of the fibers themselves are penetrated by the waterproofing material in this machine;

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

' Fig. 7 is a side sectional view showing the electrodes and the fabric being treated;

Fig. 8 is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a top view, partly in section, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a portion of the parts shown in Fig. 11, looking the direction of the arrow; and

Fig. 11 is an end view of the pair of roll electrodes and their associated parts.

Fig. 12 shows the preferred mode of using a plurality of machines to successively treat the fabric.

1 indicates any suitable framework. on which the mechanism is mounted, 2 a driven gear adapted to receive power from any suitable source, not shown, 3 a power shaft carrying the gear 2, and provided with the bevel gear 4 meshing with the bevel gear 5 carried by the vertical shaft 6 provided with the worm 7 meshing with the worm gear 8 mounted on the stud 9 carrying the pressure roll 10 coacting with the companion pressure roll 11 mounted on the stud 12. The said pressure rolls 10 and 11 are carried by the framework 13 provided with the adjusting means 14 by which the pressure between the said rolls 10 and 11 may be readily controlled. 1

15 represents a piece of cloth or other fibrous material to be treated, which in this instance passes over the idler roll 16 mounted on the framework 17, carrying the tank 18 provided with the idler 19 around which said fabric 15 also passes. Said tank 18 contains a solution of sodium palmitate or other suitable waterproofing agent, and is further provided with an idler 20 adapted to, receive and guide the fabric 15 after it passes from the idler 19 between the pressure rolls 10 and 11. After leaving idler 20, the fabric 15 passes up out of the tank 18 and over the idler 21, and down between the carbon electrode 22 and the aluminum electrode 23.

The tank 18 being provided with a suitable water-proofing solution, preferably a soap solution, such for example as the sodium palmitate above mentioned, and the said fabric 15 passing into and out of said tank, it becomes first soaked with the said soap solution, whereupon the squeezing. action of the rolls 10 and 11 forces the said soap solution to enter intimately into the interstices between the individual fibers. The fabric again entering the said soap solution after this squeezing action, becomes thoroughly soaked throughout all of its interstices with the said soap solution, all as will be readily understood.

As the said fabric 15 passes between the electrodes a pipe such as 25 sprays the precipitating solution, for example, aluminum acetate, onto the carbon electrode 22 and a small quantity 26 of this precipitating solution may accumulate between the said fabric 15 and said rotating electrode 22, as is illustrated in Fig. 7. Inasmuch as the fabric and rolls are all in motion, there is not given sufficient time for a chemical reaction between the aluminum acetate 26 and the palmitate contained in the fabric to occur prior to the electrolytic reaction produced by the current passing between the rolls.

By this means the soap solution and aluminum .acetate solution are brought together in the fabric substantially at the same time that the fabric is subjected to the squeezing action of the electrodes 22, 23, and to the electrolytic action of the current passing between the electrodes.

The fabric being thus thoroughly impregnated with the two solutions at the instant when it is subjected to pressure between the rolls 22 and 23, the said solutionsare forced into the fabric at the same time that a current is passing from the aluminum electrod to the carbon electrode.

This current causes an instantaneous reaction between the acetate and the palmitate and through the force known as electric osmosis, causes the resultant product, which is of a water repellant nature, to be forced into the pores or bodies of the fibers themselves.

The current passing between the rolls forms aluminum hydroxid at the surface ofthe aluminum roll. This material, as above explained, is in addition to that formed in the body of the fabric by electro-chemical reaction, and in order that this additional or excess hydroxid may also be incorporated in the fabric to the best advantage, I provide the aluminum electrode with an absorbent pad adapted to soak up and accumulate the hydroxid as it is formed and to transfer it uniformly and regularly while still in a nascent and gelatinous condition to the fabric as it passes between the rolls.

In machines heretofore used in which no provision was made to simultaneously subject the soap solution in the fabric to the aluminum salt and to the electric current, it has been found that the coating resided entirely on the surface of the fabric as shown in Fig. 3, whereas when my improved machine is used 'to carry out my improved process so that the current is passed at the same time that the soap solution is subjected to the aluminum salt, owing to the phenomena known as electric osmosis, this said coating 35, instead of residing on the outer surface 32 of said fibers 31, is carried bodily into said fibers 31 as is indicated by the portion 33 of said coating 35, all as will be clear from Figs. 4 and 50f the drawings. In other words, the portion 33 of the waterproofing material 35 may be said to anchor the coating 35 into the body 31 of the fibers, and to thus cause the coating 35 to adhere to the fibers in a manner far more tenaciously than has heretofore been possible.

In order to impart rotation to the electrodes 22 and 23, the aluminum electrode 23 1s provided with the gear 36 which meshes with the worm 37 carried by theshaft 6, and a worm 38 also carried by said shaft 6 meshes with a gear 39 mounted on a stud shaft 40 carrying the bell cranks 41, carrying the shaft 42, on which is mounted the carbon roll 22. Accordingly, when aluminum roll 23 1s positively driven in a clockwise direction or in the direction of the arrow by the worm 37, the fabric 15 will be pulled downwardly as seen in the drawings, and the friction of said fabric on the roll 22 will cause the latter to also turn.

In order to clean the roll 22 the bell cranks 41 also carry the pivot 44 on which is mounted the brush 45, and the sprocket wheel 46. The pivot shaft 40 further carries a, companion sprocket wheel 47 and a sprocket chain 48 passes around the two sprockets 46 and 47 thus imparting motion from the shaft 40 and sprocket 47 to the sprocket 46 and brush 45.

In order that the pressure or friction be tween the fabric 15 and the carbon roll 22 may be regulated, the bell cranks 41 are further provided with the arms 51 through which pass the rods 52 surrounded by the springs 53, abutting against said arms 51 and straps 54, surrounding the eccentrics 55 carried by thepivot 56 on which is mounted the gear 57 meshing with the worm 58 carried by the hand operated rod 59 rigid with the hand wheel 60.

It will now be clear from the foregoing that as the aluminum roll 23 is positively driven through the worm 37 and the cloth or fabric 15 is pulled downwardly or in the direction of the arrows, the pressure or friction between said cloth and the carbon roll 22 may be readily adjusted by turning the hand wheel 60. It will also be clear that the continuous rotation of the shaft 6 and worm 38 will cause a continuous rotation of the brush 45 which will clean the carbon roll 22.

The pad on the aluminum roll 23 may be made of fabric and is liable to dry out 1 when the machine is not running. As the solution it contains constitutes a water proofing material when dried, the drying out of said pad would render it almost impossible to again get it into a moist or operative condition. Accordingly, it is very desirable to keep the said pad 30 continuously moist and to this end a pipe 61 is provided for supplying water to said pad 30 whenever the machine is not running.

The fabric 15 being supplied with a waterproofing material not only in the capillary pores of the fibers themselves, but also in the interstices such as 65 of the fabric, see Fig. 5, and the coating being very thin, it is evident that there will remain a greater or less portion of the undecomposed solution sticking to the individual fibers 31. It is of course desirable to remove all the surplus material in order that the cloth may be clean and sweet, after the waterproofing operation has been finished. To this end the cloth 15 passes from the rolls 22 and 23 down into a tank 66 containing fresh water. Said tank is provided with the idlers 67 I and 68 around which the cloth passes before leaving said tank, and after it leaves the said tank 66 the said cloth passes between the wringing or squeezing rolls 69 and 70. The roll 69 is mounted on the shaft 71 which carries the gear 72 meshing with the worm 73 mounted on the power shaft 3, and the said roll 69 being thus positively driven it in turn drives through friction the roll 70 in a manner well understood.

The roll70 is adjustably mounted in the framework 75 and the pressure between the rolls 69 and 7 O is regulated by the screws 7 6 carrying the bevel gears 77 meshing with the bevel gears 78 mounted on the shaft 79 carrying the hand operated wheel 80 so that the turning of the wheel 80 readily adjusts the squeezing action of the rolls 69 and 70.

Also carried by the power shaft 3 is a* worm 81 meshing with the gear 82 moiinted on the shaft 83 and said gear 82 meshes with the pinion 84 mounted on the shaft 85; said shaft 85 carries a pinion 100 which meshes with the pinion 86 mounted on the shaft 87 carrying a brush 88 which constantly rotates against one surface of the cloth 15 and thus brushes off any surplus material which may adhere thereto. The other surface of the fabric 15 is likewise subjected to the action of a brush 101 also receiving its power from the pinion 100.

After leaving the rolls 69 and 'the fabric 15 passes over the idler 90 mounted on the frame 1, and thence passes around the drying drum 91 which may be heated by steam or any other agency. The said drum 70 91 is mounted on the shaft 92 carrying the gear 93 meshing with the worm 94, also carried by the power shaft 3. After the said cloth 15 has dried on the drum 91, it may pass over the idler 95 and out of the machine as indicated, to a second machine to be re-waterproofed, or otherwise treated or to be regarded as finished, according to the objects desired.

Current is supplied to the electrode 23 by means of the lead wire 125, and the brush 126 contacting with the ring member 127 as best shown in Fig. 8. The current leaves the other electrode 22 by any suitable means as for example, the conventionally shown lead wire 128 and brush 129, see Fig. 11.

Power transmitted from the gear 36 to the electrode 23'is passed through a clutch not shown, but which is preferably located within the circumference of the gear 36 and one member of which is diagrammatically indicated at 131, see Fig. 10. This said clutch is preferably of the friction type and its friction is controlled by the spring 132 which may be in turn controlled by the hand wheel 133 operating on the screw member 134, with which the shaft 135 of the elec- .trode 23 is provided.

Underneath the electrode 23 is placed any suitable drip receptacle such as 140, and underneath the electrode 22 is a similar receptacle 141.

As best shown in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the shaft 85 is provided with a pair of hand levers 142 and 143 traversing 10 the sectors 144 and 145 respectively, and said hand levers are provided with rocker arms 146 which carry the shafts 87 and 148, on which are respectively mounted the brushes 86 and 101.

It will be evident from the'constructiou illustrated that if the two hand levers 14.2 and 143 are swung in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 6 for example, the rocker arms 146 will be tilted as shown, so that the/ brushes 86 and 101 will slightly displace the cloth 15 out of its straight line path and cause said brushes to bite more firmly against the surfaces of said cloth than would otherwise be the case. By this means and by the agency of the fresh water in the tank 66 and by the squeezing action of the rolls 69 and 70, I am enabled to thoroughly cleanse the cloth of any undecomposed waterproofing material before the cloth reaches the drying drum 91. When the electrode 22 is made of carbon, I find it convenient to introduce copper conducting rods such as 150 therein, in order to facilitate the passage of the current. 151 represents insulating material beand its ceding figures, while the machine B is substantially like the machine A with the exception that thecathode roll 22*, the anode roll 23 and associated devices are arranged on the opposite sides of the machine as compared with machine A. It will be understood that the web of cloth is fed continuously, first through the machine A, and then through the machine B, so that in the machine B the negative roll 22 comes, into contact with that side of the cloth or material which came into contact with the anode roll 23 of the machine A, while that surface of the cloth which came into contact with the cathode roll 22 of the machine A comes into contact with the anode roll 23 of the machine B. It is also to be noted that the spraying device for the reagent on the machine B is arranged on the opposite side, as compared with the machine A. As a result of passing the cloth through these two machines, it will be apparent that the material is treated equally on both sides so as to produce equal waterproofing effects. If desired, additional banks of machines corresponding to A and B can be provided, the next machine being adjacent to the machine B and this next machine may correspond with the machine A while the machine fol lowing it may correspond to the machine B. As the result of using four of such machines arranged in the manner referred to above, it is possible to-coat the material twice on each side; if additional coatings are desired, additional machines may be provided.

It is to be noted that the main driving shafts of the various machines can be connected together through the intermediary of claw clutches 153 under control of operating levers 154. The main shaft for all the machines may be driven as shown by means of v the gearing 155, 156.

For the reasons above stated, my. improved machine, when used as above described, provides a coating which is anchored very much more firmly in the fabric itself, and in the pores of the fibers than has heretofore been possible and therefore fabrics treated by this process will stand much rougher usage without losing their waterproofing qualities than has heretofore been possible.

It will be understood that the strength of the solution, the time of treatment, as well as the strength of the current to be used in operating the machine, may be varied to suit the particular fabric or fibers being treated, and that they will depend in agreat measure upon the thickness as well as the quality of the material beingprocessed. These various data can readlly be determined upon trial by those skilled in the art.

For the purpose of giving a specific example of the process, it is said: I have attained excellent results in the case of Woolens, such as are ordinarily used for clothing, by saturating the same with a solution'of sodium palmitate in the proportions contained in one half ounce of white castile soap to one gallon of water, and have employed'on the cathode as a precipitating agent a solution of aluminum acetate of 1% degrees T. W. while passing a current through said woolens and solutions having a density of about five amperes per linear foot of cylindrical electrode surface. In the case mentioned, I passed the wet goods between the electrodes at the rate of three feet per minute, the rolls employed being seven inches in diameter. The anode was of aluminum and the cathode was of graphite, but, of course, the cathode may be of any suitable conducting material. I

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction as well as the arrangement of parts constituting the apparatus, and that they may also vary the compounds employed as well as the procedure constituting the process without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore, I wish it to be understood that the above disclosure gives an example only of one way of practising the invention, and that I consider all chemical equivalents-of the compounds mentioned, all electrical equivalents of the procedures mentioned, as well as all mechanical equivalents of the apparatus disclosed as coming within the limits of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine ofthe kind described, means for first wetting the fabric to be treated with a saponaceous compound and means for subsequently applying a reagent adapted to combine'with the saponaceous compound and for simultaneously subjecting the fabric to the action of an electric current.

2. A machine for effecting the non-absorptivity of fibrous materials, comprising a reagent bath, means for passing the material through said bath, spraying means adapted to wet the material after the emergence from the bath, a plurality of rollers one of which is electrolytically soluble, said spraying means being adapted to wet the material at the time it is subjected to the action of the electrolyzed rollers.

3. A machine for effecting the non-absorptivity of fibrous materials, comprising means for first wetting the fabric to be treated with a saponaceous compound and for then passing it between a plurality of roller electrodes, spraying means in juxtaposition to said electrodes adapted to wet the material with a second reagent at the same time that the material is subjected to the electrolyzing action of the rollers.

4. A machine for effecting the waterproofing and the non-absorptivity of fibrous materials, comprising means for first impregnating said material with a reagent solution containing one of the Waterproofing constituents, then subjecting said material to pressure to force said solution to penetrate the interstices of said material, in combination with spraying means adapted to wet the material with the other waterproofing constituent and with means for conveying the material between a pair of rollers forming a part of an electric circuit, said spraying means being so directed that the precipitate formed by the uniting of the constituents occurs simultaneously with the action of the electric current upon the material.

5. A machine for effecting the non-absorptivity of fibrous materials, comprising means for first wetting said material with one solution, then with a second solution, a pair of rotating electrodes between which said wet material is arranged to pass, one of said electrodes being covered with an absorbent pad, in combination with means for washing said material after it leaves said electrodes and for drying the washed material.

6. In a machine for effecting the waterproofing of fibrous materials, a pair of rotary electrodes, the anode of which is constructed of aluminum, and covered for substantially its entire length with an absorbent pad, the cathode of said electrodes comprising a carbon roller through which copper bars run longitudinally for substantially its entire length, said bars being adapted to facilitate the passage of the electric current through the carbon.

7. Apparatus for waterproofing fibrous material comprising a plurality of machines each comprising a bath containing a saponaceous solution through which the material is passed, a pair of rotary electrodes, a spraying device located at said electrodes, means for successively passing the fabric through the several machines, the arrangement being such that the relatlve position of the fabric to the spraying device and the positive and negative electrodes in each machine is reversed.

ALFRED O. TATE. 

